Lions’ Brian Branch apologizes for upsetting Lambeau Field crowd: ‘It was just the heat of the moment for me’

Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch apologized Wednesday for knocking down the crowd at Lambeau Field after he was ejected during Sunday’s game. Victory 24-14 on the Green Bay Packers.

“It’s not something I wanted to show or want people to notice me like that,” Branch told reporters. “It was just the heat of the moment for me, and I apologize to anyone who saw it and it won’t happen again.”

The branch was expelled for being latehelmet-to-helmet hit in the second quarter on Packers receiver Bo Melton. After Melton dropped Jordan Love’s pass, Branch hit Melton from the sideline, drawing a flag for unnecessary roughness. The play was reviewed and Branch was ejected from the game.

After arguing with officials, the second-year defensive back knocked into the crowd as he left the field, earning him an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and likely a fine from the NFL.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell attributed Branch’s punishment to the fact that it was a nationally televised game and the standard of officiating changes when that is the case.

“He’s got to get used to it,” Campbell said. “When you play prime-time games, New York is going to watch all that. They don’t care about the 1 p.m. games. They do those games in prime time. So understand the situation.”

NFL Senior Vice President of Officiating Perry Fewell told a pool reporter After the match, several striking angles were looked at and the idea was that Branch had enough time to take a different route.

“And he clearly had an opportunity to avoid the head and neck area,” Fewell added.

A few days later, Branch was sorry for his actions and said penalizing him for the stunt was the right decision by authorities.

“I completely agree with that decision. My goal was obviously high, but I never intended to go for the head,” Branch said. “To move forward, I have to lower my target.”